Paddy in Philly Part 1

Since I’ve started this blog about Irish pubs, I feel an obligation to try to keep it current. So I took an uncharacteristically impulsive trip to Philadelphia on a weekday evening to hit some bars and come up with some material. I went to some “name” Irish pubs in the city of brotherly love, and I came away feeling less than fulfilled. The pubs didn’t do much for me, but at least I got a few slugs of respectable Irish whiskey in me.
My first stop was McGillin’s, which is on record as being the oldest continuously operating tavern in Philly, according to its website. The website also records the accolades it has received in the past, which includes Philly’s best Irish pub, an assertion I can seriously dispute after two minutes of being in the place. I arrived at the bar about 8 o’clock on a Wednesday, and the place was ridiculously packed. I’ll say right off the bat that a place that is as inaccessible as McGillin’s (tucked in a center city alley with no dedicated parking) and still manages to attract a big crowd on a winter weekday night is doing something right. As the Irish say, Good on Ye! The service was prompt and cordial and the bleached blonde bartender knew what Tullamore Dew neat meant without having to ask (if you think I’m being sexist, I’ve heard from several women that they don’t trust attractive, big-bosomed bartenders to know anything about tending bar, they usually get hired for other attributes). This bartender was confidant and knowledgeable, no silly flirting to mask weak bar knowledge. I’ll give the place high marks for Irish décor: plenty of pictures, signs, and other assorted bric-a-brac. The place has the lived-in look of a bar that’s been around since the Civil War era.
However, McGillin’s is missing 2 crucial elements: selection and craic. The Irish whiskey selection is not good; only 5 representatives of the usice beatha and all crowded around the same price point: Jameson, Bushmill’s, Tullamore Dew, Michael Collins, and Feckin’. A place this busy and with the (relative) diversity of clientele I saw can’t spring for something a little more high-end? No Red Breast, Tullamore 12, or Jameson 12? Yes, I know I’m beating my overly dead horse, but let’s see a little effort people. St. Paddy’s Day is right around the corner, and not everyone wants to drink whatever draft is on special and “fuggin’ Jaeger bombs.” And as far as craic goes, it wasn’t in evidence on my visit. I know that craic is a subjective matter, but to me, McGillin’s didn’t have it. The place was crowded and loud, but I can get that scene at any number of just-post-college bars or yuppie taverns anywhere. Granted, the place was so crowded that I couldn’t find a decent spot to stand by and survey the place. I took a quick walk through the 2 floors, slugged down my whiskey, jotted a few notes, and left. To be fair, I’ll give McGillin’s an I for Incomplete based on my visit. I feel that in fairness to the place and my readers, I need to make a follow-up trip that allow me to more fully absorb the bar. However, I have learned through my years to trust my first impressions, and my first impression of McGillin’s is not too positive.